Bread slicer



H. STUKART Oct. 20,1925.

BREAD SLI GER Filed July 10, 1922 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct.- Z 1925 1 1,557,893

H. STUKART BREAD SLICER Filed July 10. 1922 s Sheets-Sheet 2 e ra or.-

H. STUKART' BREAD s'ucrm Filed July 10. 1922 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 H. STUKART BREAD 51.; can

Oct. 20, 1925.:

Filed July 10. 1922 6 Shoots-Sheet 4 Oct. 20, 1925. V

. H. STUKART BREAD SLICBR Filed July 10, 1922 6 Sheets-Shoot 6 in the following specificatiom'and it is more Patented Get 20, 1925.

2 "UNITED STATES 1,557,893 PATEN -on on;

HENDRIX STUKART, or LA ron'rn, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR r0 U. s. sLicI G ACHINE COMPANY, OF LAYPQRTE, INDIANA, AoonronA'rroN OF INDIANA.

BREAD SLIGER.

Applicationfiled July 10, 1922. Serial No. 573,861

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, HENDRIK SToKAR a citizen of the United States, residing at La Porte, inthe county of La Porte and.

State of Indiana, have invented-certain new and useful Improvements in Bread Slicers,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to slicing machines havinga rotary disc knife for slicing bread and similar substances and has for its object the provision of a machine of the class named which shall be of, improved construction and convenient and operation.

The invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangement of parts, shown in the accompanying drawings and described particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation'of a machine embodying one form of the present invention; Fig. 2 is afront elevation with parts broken away; I

Fig.3 is arear elevation. with parts in section;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section line 44 of Fig. 2; V

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the bread clamp and associated parts;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a section'on line 7-7 of Fig. 5;

substantially on Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view showing. the ratchet feed for the bread clamp; and

Fig. 9 is asection on line{9-9 of Fig. 3. The form of slicer shown in the drawings is 'supported by end plates or frame members 10 and 11 which are held in spaced relation by rods 12 and are provided with feet 13. A main drive shaft 14 is journaled in the supports 10 and ll and is provided withv a drive wheel 15. A runway or channel 16 extends between the supports 10 ,and 11 along'which loaves of bread 17 are fed during the slicing operation.

A circular front plate 18 is secured to the frame 10 by screws 19 and this plate is provided with forwardly extending flanges 20 which surround an opening through the plate at. the lower central portion thereof. A similar opening is formed in the frame member 10 and registers with the opening through the front plate. The front end of the channel 16 is provided with a reinforcing efficient, in

. pinion 37 in a clockwise direction. the pinion 37 and knife 25 are rigid with one member 21 which projects into the opening 7 in the frame- 10 and issupported thereby, as shown in. Fig. 4. A suflicient space 22 is allowed between the plate 18 and the frame 10 to permit the passage of a knifev through the space for severing a slice from the loaf 17. Above the opening for the loafthe frame 10 carries a plate- 23 which is spaced from the front plate '18 to provide a chamber '24 in which the driving mechanism for the slicing knife 25 is mounted. v

The main drive shaft 14 is pivoted in a. bushing 26 mounted in the plate 23 and a spacingsleeve 27 is attached to the bushing 26 and to the rear frame 11. A bearing 28 is formed on the front plate 18 and a stud shaft 29 is journaled in the bearing 28. A spur gear 30 is rigidly fixed on the rear end of the stud'shaft 29 andan arm 31 is journaled on the shaft 29 in front of the gear 30. Ball races 32 and ballv bearings 33 are interposed between the arm Bland the shaft 29. Formed integrally withtho arm 31 and at the opposite side of the shaft 29 there is provided aU-shapedmember 34 which constitutes a driving connection between the shaft '14 and the ,arm. 31 and which also serves as a: counterweight for theknife 25 which is, mounted on a shaft 35 journaled in the end of the arm 31. The U-Amember 34 is fixed to the end of the shaft 14 by a pin '36. A pinion 37 is secured to the knife 25 andmeshes withan idler 38,

Fig. 2, carriedby a stud shaft 39;. The

shaftw39 is journaled in the arm. 31 on roller.

bearings 40 in a manner similar to "shaft and meshes with the spur gear 30.

WVhen the hand wheel 15 is rotated ina clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, it

will carry the shaft 35 and the knife 25 in a'counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2. J This movement will cause the pinion 38 to roll upon the gear30 lwhic'h is held stationary during slicing operations so that thepinion 38 will rotateuponits own axis in a counter-clockwise direction, driving the Since tion to the-direction of movement of the knife across-the:openingr so ,that nvhen-the edge' of' the knife strikes theloaf the rotation will tend to press the loaf downwardly instead of tendingtolift it from itssupport, as would he the case the =kni-fe-were rotating in the opposite direction.

For retaining the spur gear in fixecliposition during a slicing operation the end of the shaft 29 has rigidlyseeurerl'thereto a hand crank 41 from the hub of which there extends-a jp'roj ection 42 having screw L3 "threaded therein,and*providedfwith athumb g I =ing' a co-ntactmember for the outer periphretracted the gear' gO maybefrot'ateld by the crank- 41"forr purpose; to be explained later.

The loaf'yl7- is advanced along the";run-

.Way 16 by-a feedscrew 46 located adjacent the side of the runwayand-connectedhy abracket47, Fig. 7, with a brea'd' clamp 48. lh'e clamp 48 comprises a base pllate 49hav- 1 ing an upright abutment =fl'ange5,0' at its front end and upwardly projectinggpins'51' for engaging the ?lo;wer -portion"of"the loaf, loaf "forwardly in theslideway :16. The for- *Pins 52 extending downwardly from a clamping 'plate 53 engage the upper face 1 of -tionof its casing. The link 80-is reciprow the loaf a1idcopperatewitl1. the pins 51 to hold theloaf in the bread-clamp. The plate the clamp and a pair of spring gplungers: :56

press the teeth-52 iinto theupper face {of the lo'afQ The substantially horizontal position i of the clamping jpiafte- 53 permits consider able vertical"movement-of the :teeth 52 with out the-necessity "of any upwardly project- "ingframework adjacent the 're ar end 1 of the loafr 3 Irrespective oft the'h'e'ight 6f the loaf the clamping mechanism projects but ive ry slightly abo-ve'thetop portion of its'rear end.

A bracket 57extends fromtheside of thebread clamp opposite the brac'k-et' 147 and on the :screw '46. A spring-pressed"plunger 60 f is" carried tlrefb'racket47 and "the end of; the plunger is normally'pre'ssed into co-n- -'tactwvith:therthreads, on the screw 46; A

* ih'an'd wheel '61 connected with the'plunger which carries. a pin62 iiniposition 'to engage *a: cant '63 by means of which the; plunger may he iwithdr'awn from engagement with the fife ed screw by rotation of' the" hand wheel. f The screw 46 carries a ratchet-wheel 64at its rear end-which is engaged by "detentpawls '65 and 66 to prevent -reverse" 'rotatio11-' of the ratchetwheel. The points -of the pawls 65 "and 66 are offset relati-ve"to one another an amountequal to one-half of the pitch of theteethonthe ratchet wheel-64 to "provide accurate opera-tion'of "the :detents. -A -pinion 67:issecured to the shaft 46 adjacent the ratchet 64, the pinion meshing with a gear 68 jonrn'aled on.a studsha-ft fil). v A-disc 7O issecured tot the gearfi by' a pin 71 and the two are held in" place on the *stud shaft 69 by a circumferential flange 7 2.

J'ournaled upon the periphery of the flange 72 is a: disc '73ihav'ing recesses 74 formed 1n the periphery thereof for receiving clutch balls or rollers 75; Aflange 76-is" formed on the'disc' and surrounds the plate =73 fo-rm- 'ery -o f-the rollers'75. spring 77":engages each; roller =and presses it into the bight loetween the flange-76 andfthe inner: face of the notch- 7 4. 7 A coverjplate 78 is securedto'the plate 7 3 way drive 'or' ratchet is thus p'rovided be tweenthe cover plate 78Iand the *feed screw 46 {this drive being operated at each" rotation of the hand wheel 15 to impart azpartial rotation to the =screw 46 =and feed the ward movement" ofthe lo a'fi-s timed totake place while the knife 25 is in -the upper porcated for moving the feed screw 46 by n'ie'ans of an arm 81 pivoted at-82on'the rear frame plate 11; 'Afinger' 83is connectedwith thearm-81 and carries a cam roller 84 which engages 'a camgroove"85 in a cam'ti86 secured to the hand wheel 15. yA' spring87 normally presses' the roller 84 inwa-rdly against the inner face of the groove 85. "1B0- 'tation of the hand -iwheel j 15 periodically moves the roller 84 outwardly} l l'ftlngiithe arm 81 and imparting rotationto thezcover" plate 7 8 in the direction of the'arrowdnEig. '9

u. The'amount of movement of the cover plate and "consequently of the "feedscrew "amay be regulateehby shiftingthe position of thelink'80 along the arm 81.

'Thelinl; '80 is pivotally connected-at 88 to a sleeve 89 surrounding the arm 81. The sleeve 89',--as shown in -Fig; 9,-is provided "with a"housin'g 9'0- in"whi'ch there is journaled a shLaftQl provided with; a' p'inio n 92 ';mesl1ing-withgear-{teeth 93 =on' thelower face of the'arm 81. handwheeh914isconnected with' the shaft 191 and is held from -1'otation'by a pin, 95 which engages openings in the housing- :90, A spring 97 normally holds the pin 95 incorita'ct -With-One-'Qf the again draw the pin 95-i1itooner=6f tlte openin gs 96- and 'lock -the 'housing 90 in its -ad j'usted position. A scale 98 may be attached to the upper face of the arm 81 and a pointer 99 secured to the housing 90 cooperates with the scale 98 for indicating the thickness of slices corresponding to the various positions of the housing 90 upon the arm 81.

For holding the loaf 17 in place in its slideway 16 a spring plate 100 is pivoted 107 in position to swing downwardly and.

close the opening through the front plate 18 when the machine is not in operation.

A spring catch 108 is provided for holding the plate 106 in its upper position, as shown in Fig. 4. A guard plate or casing 109 may be secured to the arm 31 and have its edge bear against the knife 25 to form a housing for the operating gearing'and' pre vent crumbs or other matter from access to the gears. A detachable, plate '110 closes the rear portion of the upper half of the housing for the knife 25 and is held in place by screws 111 which may be removed to permit access to the. interior of the housing. The plates 18 and -110"arecut'away at thelr upper central portion to provide an opening through which the edge of the knife 25 may project'for sharpening. This opening may be closed by acap 112 held in place by a thumb screw 113 and provided with a handle 114 by which it may bemoved into the broken line position shown in ,5 Fig. 2 when it is desired to permit access to the knife for grinding. 5

Sharpening of the knife may be performed by a grinder 115 which may be of any approved construction, one suitable form of device for this purpose being shown in Patent No. 1,308,433, granted July 1, 1919. During a sharpening operation the arm 31 is locked in its uppermost position so as to retain the knife 25 at the upper extre mity of its movement with the edge projecting into the opening provided at the upper edges of the plates 18 and 110. 'The sharpener 115 is carried by a brac'ket'116 in tation of the knife in-thispositionis permitted by releasing the" thumb screw 43 so that the'hand crank 41-inay' be rotated to drive the shaft 29 and-the spur gear 30. This will rotate the shaft 35 and the knife 25 through the action of'the idler 38 and pinion 37.

During the grinding operation the stones are brought into roper relation with the edge of the knife in the manner explained in the patent referred toso tha't' 'the rotation of the knife drives-the stones and producesfthe sharpening operation in the wellknownmanner referred to in'that patent. In this way it is possible to sharpen the knife while it remains mounted in the hearing in whichit rotates during the slicing operation. This makes it possible to 'grind the knife true to its plane of rotation which is diflicult to do if the knife-is removedifrom its bearing for sharpening. This operation also avoids the inconvenience of removing the knife" for sharpening and subsequently replacing it for slicing. 1. I

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4,'thecover 109 for the knife gears forms a beveled offset adjacent the cutting portion of the knife. This constitutes a wedge-shaped member which passes between the loaf of bread and the top portion of the 'sliceas it is severed and forces the slicejaway' fro'm the surface from which it has'been cut and into the posit-ion shown in 4. This removes the slice-from the'path of the knife and prevents any chance of mutilation as sometimes might otherwise happen, especially if the knife is rotated after feeding is stopped.

'It also tips the slic'e'into the proper-angle against the previously cut slices and makes it unnecessary for the advancing loaf to' move the cut slices. 1

I claim 1.' In combination, a discknife, a support on which said knife is journaled, means for rotating said support to inove' said knife bodily, means for rotating said knife upon its journal during the movement of said support, means for holding said support in fixed position,-"1neans for rotating saidknife while still journaled on said support when saidsupport is "heldin fixed position, and

a'sharpener for engaging the edge of said knife when so rotate 2. In combinatiom a'disc knifefa support on which said knife -is. journaled,

'means for rotating said support, a gear concentric with the axis of rotation of said support, a pinion meshing with said gear for rotating said knife when said support is rotated, means for holding said gear against rotation during rotation of said-support,

means for holding said support in fixed position, and means for rotatingsaid gear to drive said knife when said support is so held. I.

uand' e iisrfor revolving th -axis-of saidknife v' ahout a fixed axis, planetary geamng for n1 driving said knife,,,;a nd -a hand crank for actuating i said: 1 planetany gearing, jto rrotate said ,knife when said i'evolving nefins is at 0na y- 5.}Infa sl-icing machine,a disc knife a ;-.s2 ;;$support. on which; said knife isjjour-naled, a iQurn bear g -f-Qr s i suPpQrtsimw iirom'the joutnahbearing for said 'lznife and a counterbalance itoi' said-snpportand knife. 6. In a slicing machine, a I supporting zzfr meflan..arm journa n a zt 'a a slicing; knife ou 'naled on Said; arm, -;a11 d a l counterbalance .Qollnected' with said arm at silica-side -of-, -the.-journal support ;'fOI' j said 7,

' v movable along said slideway andcompnisarm opp si e said. rk i ,7. In; a. .%s1'c ng z ae'll nes d shaft? 5 zrUzshaped' memb r con e te wi hsa d i haft adj acent o e end th e -.a m icondisc .kniifeS jouin'aled on .said' armand ex- 1 tmember;

- 8.. 111-. aislicing ma hines a dr I sh 1% pedamer ibeiz connect d W h said dr jecting teeth. into engagement with; afiloaf of 'bne'ad, and means for feeding said ,loread;

Uis :ashaftj and-extending. at i 0116;SlCl8 of t theaxis -4 'r-ithereof, .an; arm ca uzied by said illshaped member and eXtendingto-the, opposite s de of the axis of said shaft from.saiddJ-{shaped ,inember, a'idisc knife. 1' ournaled-on said arm, andv counterbalanced byfis'aid lJ -.shaped mem- --i 4 .1061, and planetar geailng w ro ting-Sa clamp engag ng said glnde iod, a .feedscrew knife. when; aid; drive sh'aft is rotated;

' 9.?In,a slicingimachi-ne, a;. drive sl aft, an arm connected w thsaid drive shaft, a counterloalfance connected .Witl' said'drive shaft g .10.: vIna sli ngimac neg'a-.UShaped mems a-id ,smeinber,.=and ,adisc knife journaled on a-saidn arm; ati a point spaced "-firo n' theaxis '1 the legsofls id'U- hap m m er- I 11. In a slicing machine, a U-ShELPBdgDIBHlanged at, the *side thereof: Opposite eajo urnaled on?- Said ;1 -ai m and.iextending pas h axi iia shaft into a slot in said-counterbalance,and., k -nife.

we-tee bet, a shaft connected With ene l eg of said member, .a .j oulinal bearing for thefo,ther leg o sai me lnbe ile axia i w th a af an a m ecure i th .Ja tanen mined- .legn

s id. ine nber; adisc knife :iournale .oi sa d arm ata-pqiiitspaced from thefaXiS Qfi said shaft, ,saidknife extending between thelegs wo'f said U-ishapedmember, a gear coaxial Withsaid shaft, driving connection between .said gear and knife, neans-ig'or holdingsaidU7 .gear against rotation inning rotation of said shaft, .means for holding said. shaft gear to rotate said knife-When said shaft is so held.

.12. ..In a slic ng machine, a- =WO1li clamp armin position to cooperate withnsaid up- ,w vardly projecting teeth, and .1:esilient.means foramov ngsmd aifm about its pivotto press thefteeth' thereon against work h ld go by'said clamp.

13. In a bread slicing machine,,a..slide ay fofwloaves to be sliced, a .breadholder ing a baseplate having-upwardly projectingteeth adjacent the iorward edge .tl1e11eof,.-. an ,abutment member in the rear of saidvteeth,

.a'supportinrthe rear ofsaid abutmentmem- ,pivotally mounted on said .suppoi tland. hHV-Q ingdoWn a-rdly extendingteeth in registering relationwith the teeth on .saidbase plate, a spring .for pressingesaididownwardly .pro-

holder,- along said .slideway. I

-14. Ina bread slicing machine,.a.slideway sitioned in said slideWay,1-a;guide rod. at one side of sa d slide-way, an arm cn sald attheopposite side of saidslideway, a brack- -.;e t on {Said clarnp engaging said. .ifeed screw, .anda tooth carried byxsaid bracketand'mqvr able;,into and .out of .meshwith saidH-feed;

knif (T a; ro ary .n1 ;1b a n roper'a ingws id;.knife, ,,,a feed screw. for -moving. .matenial toward .said knife, ratchet ln echanism f or .actuat J20 qing said feed -s creiv,- ,an L I I r fo mmoying qber, at y$haft-,.connected With enei glegt of said rmemberga 'j HP'IM D QFiHg eri h her eg. of :said: member -;co-axial with-, said.-shaft,- an A E 1;amycsecnred ;to .-the last mentioned leg of d ratch me ha i m, mean operatediby a y membe tor-os l at ngsaidsarm,

' hand; Wheel fermovi ng. 3 said slide/9 11;. said 1 1 a I :otisaidl: sha i kni e extend ng b e 'sfeeding- 1material to ,be sliced,-, .an an m tor actuating said ifeed ngechani'sm, :meanspjifm J30 oscillating said arm about a pivotal support, a slide mounted on said arm and connected with said feed mechanism, rack and pinion mechanism for moving said slide along said arm to vary the operation of said feed mechanism, and a hand wheel for operating said rack and pinion.

17. In a slicing machine, a drive shaft having a U-bracket at one end thereof, an arm carried by, said bracket, a disc knife journaled on said arm, a pinion connected with said knife for driving said knife, and a gear located in the opening of said U- bracket for driving said pinion.

18. In a slicing machine, a drive shaft, a U-bracket secured to one end of said shaft, a gear arranged coaxial with said drive shaft and positioned in the opening of said bracket, an arm carried by said bracket, a disc knife journaled on said arm and extending into the opening of said U-bracket, the axis of said knife being rotatable about the axis of said drive shaft when said drive shaft is operated, and a pinion connected one end of said drive shaft, an arm connected with said bracket and extending to the opposite side of said drive shaft, a rotary knife journaled on said arm and counterbalanced by said U-bracket, there being an opening through said arm and U,-bracket coaxial with said drive shaft forming a journal bearing for said arm and U-bracket, a support extending through said opening, a gear wheel carried by said support between the legs of said U-bracket, and a pinion connected with said knife and having driving connection with said gear.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification on this 6th day of July, A. D. 1922.

HENDRIK STUKART. 

